Bittersweet
by tectrices
Summary: Don't let the seedy office and cheesy dialogue fool you this is one private eye who can get the job done. Except for that one woman, there's not a mystery he can't solve.


Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! isn't mine, nor are its characters. This work is purely for entertainment purposes, and the only profit I'll recieve would be reviews, should any happen to be given. 

A/N: Wow, this is kind of... different. I'm not quite sure what inspired me to write this, especially since the idea was originally supposed to be sweet and fluffy.This isn't really fluff, and only a little bit romance. It's not by any stretch tragic, angsty, or dramatic, and it's not really funny, either. What is it? Well, you'll just have to read to find out.

**Azureshipping: **a Kaiba Seto and Mazaki Anzu fic until these words are erased.

If you find the characters to be atrociously out of character, blame Detective!Seto. He amuses me. Oh, and it's in his POV. Right-O. Now go read and enjoy the story!  
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_**Bittersweet**_

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It was dark- dark like the inside of an empty bus-station locker. Not even the stars were shining- though in a neighborhood like that, I could hardly blame them. Night was like a big, thick blanket thrown over the world- one of those quilts your grandmother made that you never really had the heart not to use. Even the air was smothering and heavy, with a weighted darkness all its own. 

I was sitting in my office, a cup of coffee so hot you could still see the steam sitting in front of me. I had taken it black, bitter and strong. I liked it sweet sometimes, but not that day. That day, I was expecting a sugar-substitute. My own sickly sweet, saccharine stumbling block...

_Mazaki Anzu. _

And there she was.

She barged into my office like she was a bat out of hell. (Wouldn't surprise me in the least if she was) Dames like that are always trouble- they don't know when to shut up, and they don't know how to take "no" for an answer. Whatever it was she wanted, I had a feeling that "no" was just the answer I was going to give.

I knew her- not too well, mind you- but she was like one of those seedy used-car salesmen: never knew when to leave a man alone. And She stuck to my rival like glue. What she saw in that porcupine-headed piece of deluded, undersized duelist I'll never understand. She was mandatory-female-sidekick, leader of his little cheer-squad of rejects. (I have a less-than-high opinion of them, if that isn't already obvious.) She really was a cheerleader; the only thing she was good for was shaking her pom-poms.

Not, of course, that _I_ had ever noticed.

I gave her the cursory glare, but she didn't get the hint. She was looking about as good as the cup of coffee in front of me. Women were too damn manipulative; she wore one of those dresses that could catch any man's attention, and those _hey-big-fella_ blue eyes of hers did a number even on me. I was in no mood to listen to whatever it was she had to say. I took a sip of my bitter coffee as I waited for her to speak. Just as I thought, I didn't have to wait long.

"I've got a case for you, Kaiba-kun," she said bluntly, one hand at her hip, the other clutching a gaudy pocket-book. "Think you can handle it?"

"I can handle anything, Mazaki," I scoffed, voice as cold as a glacier. "The question isn't if I _can_, it's if I _will_."

Voice as cold as a glacier, but she made me melt like an ice-cube in a summer sun. "Oh, I think you will." She sat down on top of my desk gracefully, just like she belonged there. She crossed her legs over the side and took a compact out of her purse. Fluffing her hair as she looked in the mirror, she said, "Wanna hear the details?"

I'll admit I was curious, but getting involved with her would be about as messy as trying to kiss a snake. (She's just about as slippery, too.) "Sorry, I'm not interested."

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. I wanted to curse those bright red lips- they were too captivating for my own damn good. "I think you are." She scooted a little closer. I moved my cup of coffee out of her way, summoning up an exquisitely nasty look. It failed to produce any of the desired effects.

"Don't you even want to hear a tiny little bit about it?"

"No." There, my resolve was still as solid as steel.

She shrugged, and started filing her nails. I wondered what would come out of that bag of hers next. "It's going to be a very lucrative endeavor. And..." She looked at me out of the corner of my eye. I could see those cunning wheels of hers turning. "I'm sure that a little persuasion would be more than enough. You know how much Mokuba loves me- he'd be _so_ disappointed if you left me out in the cold."

Oh, that was sneaky. She brought in Mokuba, my one soft-spot. Even innocent little brothers were bargaining material for that conniving woman. A low-down _and_ dirty trick... God, was it wrong that I loved how that girl played the game?

"So what's the deal?" I asked sneeringly, finishing off my coffee. "You in some trouble?"

"I can more than take care of myself," she reminded me, leaning in a little too close for comfort. I swear, she was eyeing me like a dog eyes a fresh piece of meat. I reached up and loosened my collar. "But... There is something I need you to do."

I cocked a brow, inviting her to lay the troubles on the table. "What is it Mazaki? Do you have a problem or not?"

She hopped off the desk and stood right in front of me. "Yeah I've got a problem. I need you to find something for me- had it stolen a while ago."

"Oh? And what is it?"

She leaned down close to me, another smirk playing at her lips, her hands gripping the armrests of the chair, her knees brushing mine. Her voice was as soft as a feather and as thick and rich as golden honey. "My heart."

I had to resist the wild urge I had to touch her. If nothing else, I knew I had to remain impassive. "Your heart, huh? And do you know who took it?"

She grinned, those pretty white teeth showing. Damn, everything about her was perfect. Well... except that grating personality. "He's a real bastard," she said, "A tall brunette with blue eyes and a bad attitude. Think you can find him?"

She smirked again, and that time I returned it. "Anzu, you know better than to question me. How could I possibly fail?"

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

She leaned down and kissed me with those painted-on lips. Maybe impassivity wasn't as good an idea as I had thought.Damn, but she knew how toget tome. If she wanted a game, though, she would learn that I could playbetter than anyone.

I pressed the intercom button to the lobby of the office. My secretary promptly answered. "Yeah? What is it?"

Mazaki had crawled into my lap, her hands at my shoulders and neck. Already I could feel the office heating up, her greedy lips and hands making quick work of any hesitation I had left. I couldn't really remember what I had called my secretary for. Probably to throw Mazaki out. However...

"I won't be taking any more calls this evening," I said as professionally as I could. "This case is going to take all day."

I felt her smile against my skin. Stole her heart indeed... She was stealing all of my self-respect. But she was sweet, and how the hell was I supposed to resist such a warm invitation? Anzu wasn't the only one who could bring things to a boil, and I planned on making it hot and heavy.

The bitter coffee was worth it.

And, in my defense, I said from the start that women like that are trouble. But you have to take risks sometimes, and just look danger in the face and laugh. Besides, she really could be quite... _persuasive_. With that _baby-I-want-you_ smirk and that dress so short and tight she looks like a walking scandal, I can't help but remember... How much I _love_ trouble.

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End A/N: Where did this come from? I really don't know. Oh well. I hope you enjoyed it; I took a quick break from my other stuff to just get this down. I'd appreciate comments because, as I said... (I don't know what in the world this fic is)This practically wrote itself! What is it? I certainly don't know, but perhapsyou can figure it out. Review please, and I'll be forever grateful! I think it's still good even if it is strange, so that's comforting. 

_**Shameless Self-Promotion:**_ I took a break from "Lifestyles..." (CHECK IT OUT, IT'S GOOD) to write this, but to anyone who is following that, chapter four is going to be up soon!


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